US ambassador to India 'regrets circumstances' of Devyani arrest

US Ambassador to India Nancy Powell expressed regret over the cooling in US-Indian relations

In the garb of New Year wishes, US Ambassador to India Nancy Powell has expressed regrets for "the circumstances" of Indian diplomat Devyani Khobragade's arrest, as the bilateral relations between the two countries have plummeted to a new low.

"I join US Secretary of State John Kerry in expressing our regret for the circumstances of the consular officer's arrest, but we believe that we can look forward to continuing to expand our bilateral relations," Powell said on Tuesday.

Even as the two countries continued to stick to their stances on the issue, Powell said: "These forward movements in the Indo-US relations have been jolted following reactions to the arrest of the Indian consular officer."

Powell was forced to cancel her Christmas vacation in Nepal, after New Delhi told the US envoy that she would only get reciprocal diplomatic privilege, which would have meant no airport lounge or fast-track treatment at immigration and security check points.

As they enter 2014, India and the US try hard to settle their most bitter diplomatic dispute over the arrest of the Indian diplomat.

What seems to have spoiled America's pitch again is US Attorney for the Southern District of New York Preet Bharara's off-the-record briefing to journalists - "the charges against Khobragade will not be dropped".

Sources said Bharara is trying hard to press for Khobragade's indictment before the US issues her G-1 visa. This reinforced the fact that the centre of her arrest is a vertical divide between the US Department of State and Justice Department, which was first reported by Mail Today.

India has informed US interlocutors that Bharara's statements are only complicating matters.

"Khobragade is a diplomat and will be a diplomat. Reflection of regret has been conveyed by the US Secretary of State and we will go by the US State Department's statements," said spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs Syed Akbaruddin.